Conventionally, when connecting pipes for automotive inner piping to each other, there has been widely adopted a method in which a flexible hose is placed on the outer peripheries of the pipe end portions, and in which the outer periphery of the hose is tightened by a hose clamp, thereby fixing the hose to the pipes.
As an example of such a hose clamp, Patent Document 1 discloses a hose clamp which includes a C-shaped fastening ring and a pair of grips (tabs) crossing each other from both ends of the fastening ring and radially erect, with one grip having an guide groove opening and a large width dimension in an arch-like configuration, the other grip having a small width dimension allowing movement in the guide groove; accordingly, when the fastening ring is reduced in diameter in a free state, fastening of the hose is possible, and when the pair of grips are brought close to each other, the fastening ring is increased in diameter, wherein at a groove edge of the guide groove near one grip, there is provided an engagement section to be detachably engaged with the other grip, and wherein, at the groove edge of the guide groove continuous with the engagement section, there is provided a guide section for guiding the other grip in the direction of the opening of the guide groove.
Patent Document 2 discloses a hose clip having an annularly curved plate spring body capable of elastic bending deformation, the plate spring body having at one end thereof a slot hole and a first tab outwardly protruding on the forward end side of the slot hole, the plate spring body having at the other end thereof an insertion section to be inserted into the slot hole and a second tab outwardly protruding at the forward end of the insertion section, wherein the insertion section is equipped with an outwardly protruding engagement claw and a slope situated on the one side of the second tab with respect to the engagement claw and outwardly protruding as it comes closer to the second tab, wherein, on the one side of the first tab, there are provided a sliding section sliding on the slope and an engagement section to be engaged with the engagement claw for temporary fixation, and wherein the slope and the sliding section are constructed such that, when the plate spring body being widened with the first and second tabs being held thereby, the sliding section being situated near the lower side of the slope, and when the first and second tabs being released in this state, the engagement section is engaged with the engagement claw for temporary fixation, and that, when the first and second tabs in the temporary fixation state being further brought closer to each other, the sliding section is guided by the slope to cause the first tab to be pushed radially outwards.
Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a hose clamp which includes a C-shaped fastening ring and a pair of grips (tabs) crossing each other from both ends of the fastening ring and radially erect, with one grip having an guide groove opening and a large width dimension in an arch-like configuration, the other grip having a small width dimension allowing movement in the guide groove; accordingly, when the fastening ring is reduced in diameter in a free state, fastening of the hose is possible, and when the pair of grips are brought close to each other, the fastening ring is increased in diameter, wherein there is formed at one side edge of one grip a receiving wall extending inwardly, wherein there is formed at one side edge of the other grip an operation section protruding in the width direction from one side edge of the one grip in a state where the fastening ring is increased in diameter, and wherein there is formed on the fastening ring near the other grip an engagement section to be engaged with the receiving wall.
Patent Document 1: JP 2001-159491 A
Patent Document 2: JP 3280341 B
Patent Document 3: JP 2001-90886 A